The theft of high quality radio and tape players from vehicles has become a major concern to the owners of vehicles. In many areas the presence of an expensive automobile is also a signal of the presence of a high quality valuable radio and tape player. Various attempts have been developed through the years to provide alarms, vehicle locks, radio locks and the like as deterrents to thieves. The effectiveness of such deterrents has not been great. Professionals have developed many ways to by-pass or neutralize auto alarms. In certain cities where expensive cars abound, the sound of an auto alarm is a common everyday occurrence and is usually ignored.
Locking devices which hold a radio in place only serve as a challenge to would-be thieves who often manage to remove the radio doing great damage to the console or panel. In many cases, the damage done by removal of the radio exceeds the value of the radio. The vehicle owner and the insurance company suffer an even greater loss by attempting to prevent the theft.
The only effective prevention against theft of high quality radios and radio tape players is removal from the vehicle while are not in use and the automobile is parked with an observable empty radio cavity. There is no incentive to break into a vehicle if it is apparent that there is no radio present. Attempts have been made to disguise radios by overlays. However professional thieves are well educated to that deception.
One of the difficulties with the removal and replacement of a radio is that the conventional mounting requires removal of mounting screws from underneath the panel, disconnecting several leads and pulling the radio forward through the panel. Quick disconnect holders for radios and particularly citizen band radios, have been developed through the years. Most of these are for under-dash mount, and not to be used in the dash or console. In such cases the radio itself disturbs the appearance of the dash and the owner is usually not concerned about the size of the mounting mechanism.
For in-dash or console quick removal devices, I have found that most are quite cumbersome and result in the radio protruding out of the dash or console, seriously detract from the appearance of the dash and consol. Likewise, I have found existing mechanisms with "quick release" connector or connectors at the rear of the radio require substantial force or manual disengagement to remove the radio.
Examples of quick release mechanisms for auto-radios are illustrated in the following patents:
I have also found that existing removal handles are not often truly effective.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I have developed an auto-radio shuttle which is characterized in that it is a closely conforning thin metal open faced housing with an edge lip sufficient to engage the front face of the dash or console of an automobile yet fall behind the edge trim of the radio normally mounted in the dash or console. Integral fingers may be bent up behind the dash or console to secure the housing or shuttle in place. Low removal force connectors are positioned in the shuttle for direct engagement with the particular leads for power antenna and speakers of the radio installed. The housing or shuttle conform so closely to the exterior of the radio that direct alignment of the connectors is assured. Sufficient clearance exists between the interior walls of the housing or shuttle and the radio so that the radio may easily slide in and out.
The shuttle includes its own leads corresponding to those of the radio. These leads are connected in the mating vehicle leads so that once the shuttle is in place and the automobile leads connected to the shuttle, the radio is ready for installation.
A dummy or operative tape cassette including a handle which extends out of the tape player or radio is insertable into the tape player and into an engagement with the tape-holding elements such as the alignment pins or the drive capstan. The connectors are of such low force, the alignment of the radio in the shuttle so precise and the central location of the dummy tape are all such that a slight pull on the tape handle easily removes the radio tape player.
In an alternate embodiment, the edge flange includes a pair of ears which extend outward around the radio but do not extend beyond the front surface of the radio trim. A handle which conforms to the dimensions and shape of the front trim of the radio is pivoted to the pair of ears. The handle is pivotal into alignment with the front edge of the radio or outward at approximately a 90 degree angle to be used to draw the radio out of the shuttle.
In the particular features of this invention, the handle assembly for use with vehicle dash mounted electronic equipment includes a thin frame having an opening dimensioned to encircle the housing of an electronic equipment package behind its flanged front face. It employs inwardly extending tabs which openings in the electronic equipment package. A pair of locking bars hold the tabs in place and prevent their distortion when withdrawal forces are applied to a pivoted handle.